FairPoint strikes up fiber, Ethernet-based wireless backhaul in New England

FairPoint Communications (Nasdaq: FRP) is taking advantage of the wireless industry's ongoing 4G drive by expanding its fiber to the cell tower footprint in its Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont markets.

Already serving 3G wireless on more than 1,600 towers, FairPoint plans to provide Ethernet-over-fiber service to over half of the towers in its initial network expansion to support wireless operator's 4G wireless rollouts.

Paul H. Sunu, CEO of FairPoint, said that its "Ethernet-over-fiber build to the towers will significantly increase the bandwidth to the cellular towers so that the carriers can, in turn, meet their next generation needs in the region."

Like other wireline-centric service providers, FairPoint's fiber to the cell site expansion, which it expects to complete this year along with the expansion of its VantagePoint network in New England, is a multi-purpose effort that will serve multiple domains, including wireless backhaul, business and to backhaul residential broadband DSL services.